Help translating flag

[CValaska]

I have this flag and wish to know the type or meaning on the flag. It has been in my family since the war. If it was positively confirmed that it was a family flag, and the family was interested, I would consider returning to the family.

 

[Majestic]

The person to whom it was presented would be YOKOYA Yoshio (横谷好夫), congratulating him on his entry to the army. Strange combination of very clearly spelled letters, and hastily scrawled letters. For example, the recipient's name (Mr. Yokoya) and the "congratulations" message is spelled extremely cleanly. Nearly all the remaining names are rendered very crudely, some illegibly, using what looks like a piece of charcoal of something. Seems weird.

Edit: The surname could also be YOKOTANI.

 

[CValaska]

The flag is behind glass, so I will remove it and see it I can get some better pictures. At least I didn't have it upside down. The differences in characters struck me also. I considered that maybe it was from a smaller village with lack of easy access to better writing implements.

 

[Toritoribe]

It would be fake, as Majestic-san probably suspected.

 

[mdchachi]

Were they making fake battle flags 60+ years ago?

 

[Majestic]

Yes
Fake Japanese flags - MISC / UNKNOWN - U.S. Militaria Forum

 

[Toritoribe]

Yeah, we saw many old fake flags also in this forum. (There is another problem if the flag is really old...)